REALTORS® can double their conversion rate immediately by simply following up correctly with leads, says author and speaker Chris Smith. During the most recent Secrets of Top Selling Agents webinar, Smith, co-founder of Curaytor, shared his top sales techniques for turning leads into sales.
Using the conversion blueprint from his new book, The Conversion Code, Smith shared powerful techniques for following up with internet sales. The days of face-to-face meetings with potential clients are gone, he said. People now shop and buy online. The sales paradigm has shifted, and agents need to learn how to adapt if they want to fill their calendars with qualified leads and appointments. Capturing leads is easier than ever before, but converting them is not. Here are four of the best tips from the webinar.
1. The Black Labrador Mindset
Fifty-five percent of human communication is body language, while only 7 percent comes from the actual words used. That can make selling over the phone an uphill battle. In today’s telephone and Internet market, it’s your tone of voice, what you say and how you say it that has to carry the sale. Like a Labrador Retriever, you have to be nonjudgmental about all leads, and sound and be happy to follow up with each one, all the time, no matter what.
2. Get the Highest Conversion Rate Possible
Sell the most property possible with STS Selling. STS stands for Speed, Tenacity, and Script. These three things will give you the Highest Conversion Rate Possible (HCRP).
Speed: According to something called the 100x Rule, if a company attempts phone contact within five minutes of a lead submission, the odds that the lead is converted are 100 times greater than if the contact occurs 30 minutes after submission. Almost half of people (47%) don’t call the lead at all. To convert leads to sales, you must commit to contacting every lead within the first five minutes of the submission. Use technology, dedicate people in your office, or outsource the calls to pounce leads as soon as they come in.
Tenacity: Some agents will call once or twice and then give up. The optimal number of calls to reach the highest number of contacts possible is six. Even if you obey the 100X rule and call in the first five minutes, you still only contact about 48 percent of leads. But if you call six times, you will end up contacting 93 percent of your leads. If you call the leads you’re already getting, you’re going to end up doubling your conversion rate just by working the same leads. In the end, it’s not just about getting more leads, but about working the ones you already have.
Script: Don’t just read from a script. Dig deeper for the emotional answers, rather than only focusing on the logical reasons that people want what they want. Listen to what people are saying, so you can find a way to connect with them, and then use that information to close the sale. For specific examples from Smith, be sure to listen to the full webinar!
3. Phone, Text or Email?
Today, calling or sending a text message is more effective than email. However, calling is still the most effective. Text or SMS messages have almost a 100 percent open rate, while email has about an 18 to 30 percent open rate! You can also use technology to send a highly customized text message that says, “I just got your request for more info. Can you talk now?” Doing all three, called “bursting” is the most effective of all.
If you can’t call or text, then email or leave a voicemail—but do something. If you want to be successful, not responding at all is not an option.
Prime Time for Conversions
The prime time for connecting with people in a way that converts is between 8-10 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. If you can only call people a couple of days a week, Wednesday and Thursday are the best days to call. Call on prime days during prime times to make the most effective use of your time.
Double Dial
If people don’t pick up the first time you call, hang up and immediately call them back. When most of us get a call from a number we don’t recognize, and then we get another call immediately from the same number, we start to think it might be important, so we pick it up. If a prospect still doesn’t answer after the second call, text them. Writing something like, “I got your message requesting info from ____. Is this still a good time to talk?” can remind them about their request and immediately show them why you’re calling.
4. When You Have Someone on the Phone
One of the most important things to do when you have someone on the phone is to find a way to gain their trust. If the person you’re talking with is not familiar with your company, do two things to build trust. One: align yourself with a trustworthy company or brand that they’ve probably heard of. Two: use a powerful statistic. If people aren’t familiar with Curaytor for instance, Smith would tell his potential client that the company spends over $3 million a year on Facebook ads for real estate agents. One, people know Facebook and two, they know $3 million. One trustworthy brand plus one powerful statistic creates a platform of trust.
After you have a commitment, your next four words should be, “Here’s what happens next.” Then tell them what happens next. It might be, “We’re going to call our video crew, and we’re going to look at some of the comps in the MLS and figure out how much we should list at.” Or, “We’re going to send you a free listing packet, and we’re also going to call our professional photographer so she can come out and take some pictures.” Keep it moving forward. This will help your client understand the process and also make them feel more secure in their commitment because they already know what’s coming.
To learn about the rest of Smith’s conversion tips, marketing secrets, and closing scripts, watch the full webinar. For more free real estate education, including best practices, visit Secrets of Top Selling Agents. Be sure to sign up for the upcoming webinar “Time Management: Systems, Tools, and Disciplines” featuring Ashton Gustafson on Wednesday, April 20, 2016 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT.
For more information visit Connect.homes.com.
